DIMINISHING LIGHT
by OokamiLover19
Summary: While running out of time, one girl finds herself sharing dreams with the feared Ice Lord of the Western Lands. With each dream, they gain more of the other, but details are difficult to remember when they awake from their shared dreams. What happens when the dreams of one become reality for the other? Will feelings become reality as well?
1. The First Dream

Ohayo Readers, this story is actually a rework of two different stories that I had pulled off my profile some time ago. I had loved both stories but the ideas I had for one messed with the ideas for the other so now that I have a little extra time even though I'm working two jobs now, I have slowly been working on this rework.

Hope you Enjoy!

* * *

 _"It would have never worked out, you and I," a female voice spoke sadly. The setting sun blurred out any details about the female before him as she stood at the balcony that looked out over the ocean from his personal quarters._

 _"Why would you think like that?" he muttered harshly, an arm on either side of the female keeping her body close as he gripped the railing._

 _His body felt tense as if he were holding on the last grip of sanity. Everything felt so surreal… A feeling he could not ever remember feeling before. His desire to protect this female that he could not even recognize and the feelings that his inner youkai were sending him were not make sense. His ever-calm demeanor was slipping out of his reach as he felt his heart beating hard and its rapid beating was almost deafening to his sensitive ears._

 _"We say we know each other well, but in truth we don't know each other at all. How could we? There are too many things that conflicted between us…"_

 _"Why is that?"_

 _"We are from two different worlds, my lord. There is no way that we could truly understand because they are too different. Apart from that, I am a ninngen and you…well, you are…"_

 _"A youkai? Why would it truly matter what we are? Why are you making so many excuses trying to make me believe it would never work?"_

 _"My days are numbered, my lord…" she turned her head towards him and piercing violet eyes full of tears and sorrow stared back at him._

* * *

A certain young demon lord awoke startled from his sleep, covered in a cool sweat and breathless. He looked around and found himself still in his bed and alone which was how he preferred it, but then why was he dreaming about caring for a weak ninngen who was dying? Sesshomaru growled quietly and threw the covers off himself as he got to his feet and walked over to the open window to get some fresh air, staring at the darkened ocean that had been burned into his mind from the dream he just woke from. Even his inner youkai was startled from the dream.

For once in a long time, the western lord was confused an didn't know what to do besides maybe talking to the senile old tree Bokusenō...but then again it might not be of any use because the demon tree didn't always make sense. Sesshomaru sighed and ran a claw through his long silver hair and growled, feeling that his father was somewhere in the afterlife laughing at his confusion.


	2. Ivanna Dai Yukimura

I own nothing from Inuyasha. Ivanna Dai Yukimura is my own.

* * *

 _"It would have never worked out, you and I," Her soft voice broke the silence as she felt strong arms on either side of her, gripping the railing._

 _The view was breathtaking of the ocean with the setting sun disappearing slowly into the horizon as it sank. It reminded her of when she'd travel to the ocean with her parents. She felt sad for some reason… Sadder than when she had gotten the phone call that her parents had died in an accident five years prior._

 _"Why would you think like that?" the person behind her spoke, his deep voice rumbling against her back and she saw his hands tighten on the railing._

 _She could feel his heart beating as his body was pressed against her back and she felt the softness of his silk top rub against her bare arms but could not make out any details. She wanted to frown at the sight but she felt safe and a deep love for this man though she did not know him._

 _"We say we know each other well, but in truth we don't know each other at all. How could we? There are too many things that conflicted between us…" she spoke, but her words made no sense to her._

 _"Why is that?"_

 _"We are from two different worlds, my lord. There is no way that we could truly understand because they are too different. Apart from that, I am a ninngen and you…well, you are…"_

 _"A youkai? Why would it truly matter what we are? Why are you making so many excuses trying to make me believe it would never work?" his voice because harsh at the term and she wanted to see just who she was even talking to._

 _"My days are numbered, my lord…"_

 _Her own words made her feel as if someone had shoved a blade through her chest as reality seemed to slam down on her even in a dream. She finally turned to look over her shoulder towards the man behind her and saw only narrowed molten gold eyes burning deep into her own._

* * *

Violet eyes snapped open to the annoying blare of her alarm clock. She looked around her room before rolling onto her back to stare at the ceiling while she thought about the vivid dream she woke from. Though the place where she had been at with the strange molten gold eyed man was familiar, she couldn't recall there ever being a building in her memories.

"Ivanna, wake up!" A loud bang came from her bedroom door and she could hear her Uncle Kahi on the other side. "You're going to be late for your doctor's appointment."

"Can't I just go to school like a normal person?" she sighed as she sat up on the edge of her bed as the door opened. "Why do we keep trying?"

Kahi stood in the doorway and sighed before entering the room and sat beside her. He had pure white hair to his shoulders that was pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck that he claimed he dyed it since it was better than the grey he said came early. His eyes were violet like hers with more knowledge than he ever let on. A scar marred the left side of his face from the center of his forehead from the hairline and ran across his left brow and eye before ending under his left ear at his jawline. He was tall, over six feet and was pure muscle from being a weapons master and teacher at the nearby dojo. As far back as she could remember, he had always been a part of her life, spoiling her and taking her on trips with him. Being like a second father to her like his brother, taking over as her guardian when her parents died.

"Ivanna, please stop talking like that…"

"Like what, Uncle Kahi? Like I'm dying?" she scoffed as she looked at the mirror attached to her dresser and sighed. "I just want to be able to live normally for the little time I have left."

She could see her own frailty, her small body having been slow growing with all the procedures and medicines she had to take for a good part of her life. Pale skin that barely saw any sun while her waist length Violet purple hair that matched her eyes was the only thing that misdirected people from seeing her frailty first. She just barely had reached four foot ten, considered a midget in most medical cases, and maybe 100 pounds even though she was 15.

She had a tattoo across most of her chest to help her not feel so self-conscious of the scar on her body from having open heart surgery. it started on the edges of her shoulders and swirled across her chest, just under her collarbone before connecting to the other side and went down across her sternum before spreading out, outlining the edges of her breasts then curving in and meeting at a point just above her naval. It was almost like a henna style of chains and lace and hid the discoloration of her scar but if you paid attention you could still see the ridge of the healed skin.

"Ivanna, you can't just give up after fighting for so long. The doctors say that you have been improving…"

"It's not like you're the one fighting cancer Uncle Kahi, I am constantly sick from all the damn medicine and treatment. Chemo only succeeding in making me lose all my hair when they tried it six years ago. I can't go back to that, practically living in a glass cage. I can't deal with trying experimental treatments again. They just barely found something to help with the constant pain… "

"I may not have been the one physically fighting but I have never left your side, doing my best to help you fight this. Valerie and Caine would have been here too if they could have been…"

"My parents are gone, Uncle Kahi," Vann scoffed as she stood up and walked over to her closet to find something to wear.

"Ivanna Dai Yukimura, you will never talk about your parents like that again!" Kahi snapped and she looked at him from over her shoulder, unimpressed with his anger or using her full name. His fists were clenched as he stood up. "They loved you and it wasn't their choice that they are gone."

"Whatever, I'm going to school," Ivanna spoke quietly as she grabbed her school uniform and left her fuming Uncle in favor for a hot shower before school.

Her uniform consisted of the regulated white blouse and green pleated skirt. She wore black thigh high stockings, gloves that went to her upper arms under her uniform, a black scarf around her face and neck, while she wore a white coat that went to about an inch above her skirt. Being frail and sick, she found herself always cold so she had to wear layers always, even in the summer.

Ivanna went to the public high school and even though she was constantly sick, she didn't miss school as much as some other girl in her class who she had never met since she seemed to be even more sick and the days she usually showed up were days Ivanna would be at the hospital doing tests or too weak to get out of bed.

Some days were worse than others… With her weak heart, too much of anything sometimes made her unable to move due to the pain and strain on the failing organ. Even nightmares had a heavy toll.

Ivanna adjusted the face mask under the black scarf she wore to conceal most of the mask as she walked through the school hallways to her homeroom, greeting the other students who greeted her as they passed by. She finally reached the classroom and noticed an unfamiliar face sitting at the desk that was always empty by the window when she managed to come to school. Kagome Higurashi had finally come to school the same day.

"Ivanna, you made it!" a voice called excitedly and that's when Ivanna noticed that the girls she had befriended, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi, were huddled around the unfamiliar girl. Ayumi ran over to her and grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the others. "You can finally meet Kagome."

"Easy Ayumi, we can't be dragging Ivanna around so carelessly," Yuka complained. "Remember the last time Kahi found bruises because we dragged her to the mall? Your Uncle Kahi is scary, Ivanna."

"I know," she chuckled, remembering him coming home and seeing her wrists bruised since she bruised so easily. "So this is the infamous Kagome, it's nice to meet the person who has the crown for most days missed."

"Oh… you're the one with the heart cancer…" Kagome blurted out before covering her mouth, probably embarrassed for being so blunt. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean… "

"It's all good, I'm used to it. Being sick for ten years and you get used to things," Ivanna shrugged with a smirk. "I'm Ivanna Yukimura. It's nice to finally meet you."

"I'm Kagome Higurashi," the blunette smiled as she held out her hand and Ivanna shook it with her gloved hand. "You look like you walked out if a winter scene."

"I am always cold, but if I don't dress properly, I end up stuck in bed for weeks due to the strain."

"Alright class, settle down," the teacher called as she walked into the classroom. "Pop quiz today so put your books away and pass the tests back."

"Crap," Ivanna heard Kagome whisper as she sat down and had to smile. She knew all too well about not being able to study when she was too sick.

"Start now. No cheating or you'll get detention."


	3. It's My Life

"Ivanna, didn't you say that you wouldn't be in today because of a doctor's appointment?" Eri asked they stood at their lockers and where switching out of their school shoes.

"I decided not to go," Ivanna shrugged as she slid into her knee-high boots.

"You ditched your doctor's appointment?" Yuka frowned in confusion.

"There is no cure for what I have so I am going to enjoy the time I have left. I'm tired of all the poking and prodding. Nothing has helped me get better and any treatment causes only pain. Dr. Tsuka just barely adjusted my meds to take care of the pain, I am now refusing to do anything else."

"But you'll die!" Eri exclaimed.

"Why don't you say that a little louder, Eri? I don't think America heard you," Ivanna chuckled as she noticed several other students look her way sadly. "There is a chance that I don't. I am well past my life's expected timeframe. The doctors had given me only three years after they found the cancer and here I am seven years passed that. I'm not going to give up any more time that I could possibly have. I am going to enjoy my life, make mistakes, and have fun with my friends."

"What does your uncle think?"

"He's furious, I'm sure. I left him in my room practically blowing steam out of his ears, but it is my body and it is my life. He may be my legal guardian, but he gave me full control of my medical decisions. He's probably regretting that."

"But what if you do die?" Kagome asked, tears in her eyes.

"Then I know I wouldn't have regretted deciding to finally live and not just barely surviving," Ivanna smiled. "Don't shed tears, Kagome, it is not as sad as you would think. I have lived through ten years of hellish pain. I'm actually in a good place now."

"I guess…"

"This subject is too depressing," Ayumi interrupted. "Why don't we go out and do something today? Go shopping or see a move or I don't know, anything. Ivanna is already being rebellious so let's enjoy the time we have."

"That sounds fun," Ivanna smiled. "I needed to go find something at the mall anyway. Kagome, are you feeling well enough to stay out a little longer?"

"…Yeah," she spoke after a minute.

Ivanna frowned at the hesitation she heard in her answer but brushed it off as they passed through the school gates to catch the bus before it left. She pulled out her cellphone to turn its sound back on and frowned, seeing the 10 missed calls from her uncle Kahi. Opting to keep it on silent, she shoved the device back into her coat pocket with a quiet sigh, not quite ready to talk to him yet.

Thirty minutes later, her worries were momentarily forgotten as she was going through stores with her friends. Kagome had bought some child coloring books and toys, saying something about a nephew that she was going to go visit soon. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi had bought some clothes and shoes. The thing she was looking for, she hadn't really known completely what she had been looking for until she paused outside of a jewelry store where there was a silver chain necklace on display that had a crescent moon with an amber gem within the crescent setting.

After buying it, she immediately put it on and smiled as it sat just below her collarbone. After the odd dream she had, for some reason she could not get the man's molten eyes out of her mind. Looking at the amber gem, it matched what she could remember of his eye color and for some reason felt that any shape other than a crescent moon would not have fit, but could not figure out why.

"Ivanna, there you are," kagome came into view, her arms full of bags and she noticed several first-aide supplies in a bag from the outdoor camping store. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I think so," she smiled as she pulled her scarf out of the way to reveal the piece of jewelry.

"What kind of gem is that?"

"Some kind of amber. I honestly didn't know for sure what I was after until I saw this. The dark molten amber color reminds me of something I would rather not mention, for it is rather embarrassing. The crescent setting for it seems perfect for some reason," Ivanna smiled as she touched the silver edge.

"It's pretty, just seems like an odd choice for anyone to pick a color that doesn't match with many colors," Kagome shrugged.

"Says the person who was getting their nephew gifts and come back with first-aide supplies. You going camping or something? Are you sure you're well enough for such a drastic change like that?"

"My nephew and some family friends are going camping and knew I was going to the store so they gave me some money to get some last minute items," she muttered, her cheeks red.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Kagome," Ivanna whispered with a smirk as she wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist, realizing something she should have earlier. "From someone who physically cannot get out of bed sometimes, if your family is covering for you so you can take vacations and camping trips instead of school, they may want to pick a disease they can stick with. Like an autoimmune disease or an illness that's not terminal but constantly would cause one to be bedridden."

"Wha…?"

"Lupus or Multiple Sclerosis are good choices. They sometimes mimic other illnesses so most of the things I hear about from the girls and your 'illnesses' wouldn't seem too far fetched. Take it from someone who is actually unable to go to school some days, I've noticed some small details that don't add up as if you were truly sick. I'll keep my mouth shut until your ready to be honest with the others."

"I don't know what you're talking…"

"Kagome," Ivanna sighed as she glanced at her with a raised brow.

"Oh shut up," she muttered quietly, sighing in resignation. "Guess from someone who holds the crown for legit sick days would pick up the hints of one higher than them."

"So where do you go? You're never at your house when they try to come check up on you, so obviously you go somewhere interesting. And with all these supplies, someone is injury prone and you have never come to school covered in bandages…"

"There you are! We've been looking for you two for like twenty minutes. Ivanna, why didn't you answer your phone, I called it like three times," Yuka came into view ahead of them, several bags on her arm with Ayumi and Eri a few paces behind with bags of their own.

"My phone is on silent so I didn't have to hear the dozen calls that Uncle Kahi is probably doing to figure out where I am," Ivanna shrugged. "Not quite ready to deal with his temper tantrum."

"You can't avoid him forever," Eri frowned.

"I'll deal with him tonight. If he didn't cancel his classes, he'll be at the dojo now and I'll have a couple hours before he gets home. I'll probably finish up the rest of this week's homework before the inevitable argument ensues."

"But we didn't get any homework today because of all the quizzes…" Ayumi interrupted.

"The best part of my situation is the fact that they give me weekly packets so that I don't get behind anymore. Kagome, why did your family never ask to get homework in advance for when you get sick?" Ivanna asked innocently as she looked at the bluenette beside her and saw her cheeks flush. "After all, since you get sick so often without warning, the school should be willing to work with you so that you can catch up and don't fail anymore quizzes."

"Guess we've never really thought about that. I honestly never thought that someone could get homework early…"

"The teachers usually have their entire syllabus, lessons, and homework planned out for the entire semester and because of my situation, I could technically get the entire semester's worth of homework and written out lesson plans to stay caught up. You should go in with your mom and talk to the principle, I could give you tips so that you know what to ask," Ivanna grinned.

"That's so unfair," Ayumi pouted.

"You forget that I have had to miss several semesters due to going through chemo several years ago. I'm a very special case and I only mentioned it now because I thought that Kagome was in a similar situation, but seeing your scores in class…"

"Okay, you don't need to keep bashing on my failing grades and how I'm unable to stay caught up," Kagome huffed as she pushed Ivanna gently away so she didn't have her arm around her waist.

"Anyway, I should probably head home. If on the odd chance Uncle Kahi cancelled his classes, I need to prepare myself for when I walk through the door," Ivanna sighed as she searched through her bag and pulled out a pen and grabbed Kagome's free hand before writing her number on the bluenette's palm. "Call me if you have any questions."

"Thanks Ivanna. Be safe getting home," Kagome smiled, but Ivanna saw some unease in her smile.

"Don't worry so much, Kags, I'll help you get everything figured out. See you guys," Ivanna smiled before leaving the four girls to hurry and catch the bus home.


	4. Troubling Dreams

I own nothing from Inuyasha. Ivanna Dai Yukimura is my own.

* * *

 _She was laying on a pile of large pillows in front of a large marbled fireplace with a worn leather-bound book was propped up against her raised knees and she felt herself leaning against a warm body. Wrapped around her waist and legs was a large white boa-like fur and she could feel it's warmth and almost wanted to say that she could feel it moving against her body. Feeling the silk of his top against her arms, she closed the book and was unable to make out the book's title. Lifting her head, she was surprised that she had control of her body unlike the last dream she had and looked over her shoulder to see his molten orbs watching her, one arm around her waist while the other held a piece of paper._

 _Beside him was a small table with several closed pieces of paper on a silver tray. As she studied him, she realized that he work silk clothing that reminded her of back in the Feudal Era of Japan. His hair was silver and pooled around his waist, making her think that it might go past his knees._

 _"You're always working, my lord," she spoke, though it was not what she had wanted to say. It seemed that she had some control over her body, but none over her voice. "Do you ever rest?"_

 _"This one has much to catch up on after my last patrol," his deep voice spoke as he placed the paper back on the silver tray._

 _"If you didn't leave for such long periods of time, you wouldn't get so behind in your work," she mused as she relaxed against him turned to watch the flames as they cracked against the burning wood. "You do not like being in the castle for long periods of time, do you?"_

 _"The duties of the Western Lands was passed down from this one's sire. If this one's brash younger brother was not a half-breed, the council would have giving the responsibilities to us both, but he barely has enough youkai blood to be considered of the Taisho line."_

 _"I don't understand. Youkai, as in demons? What do you mean by that?" she asked, surprised that she had actually asked something she had been thinking as she moved so she was sitting beside him and looked up at him._

 _"This one is inuyoukai, passing my 400th year. Youkai take on many forms. Stronger youkai take can on a humanoid form, but can transform into their true form when desired. Those who are weaker, only have one form that is not humanoid."_

 _"To be able to live so long… I'm envious, but youkai are not real, they are merely stories of folklore… To be dreaming of something that does not exist, may be a problem. I wonder if my medicine is causing these weird dreams," Ivanna frowned as she stood up and walked over to the balcony and looked out at the ocean. "This place feels familiar to me but there are no castles in the waking world like this…"_

 _"Dreams?" the silver-haired man appeared beside her, his eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion._

 _"I was a sleep in my bed and opened my eyes here, but if it's like last time, I'll wake up and not remember half of this."_

 _"This one thought that you were invading our dreams."_

 _"Wait, we're sharing dreams? I've gone crazy…" Ivanna whined. "I cannot be sharing dreams with someone who thinks they're a being of folklore from a place akin to the past. Why have these dreams always been in your world? Why have none of them been within mine? God, I need to wake up… Not one dream, but two…? Did you have control of yourself last time? Of your movements and voice?"_

 _"No, it was as if someone had taken control of this one's person. This one would not dream of willingly falling for a weak ninngen nor let one be so comfortable against this one's person."_

 _"Got it, so you're just a prick who think that everyone is beneath them. I'll keep that in mind if these dreams happen again," Ivanna huffed. "Even in my dreams, I dream of assholes. Don't worry, if these dreams are shared, then you'll won't have to deal with me for much longer. I'm dying anyway and there's no amount of medicine or treatment that can fix me. If I find myself here again, then I'll just make myself scarce until I wake up and leave you be."_

 _"Whether in dream or reality, treat those who have title and rank above yours with respect," he hissed and she found herself pressed against the railing, unable to breathe as she felt a hand close around her airway. "If you are dying, then let this one speed up the process."_

* * *

Ivanna gasped for air as she opened her eyes and found herself in her room. It hurt to breath and the pain in her chest brought tears to her eyes as her heart protested at the abrupt and painful awakening. Kahi was beside her with a worried expression on his face and his hands held one of her own. Bringing her free hand to press against her sternum and feeling the strained beating of her weak heart, she closed her eyes and tried to slow her rapid breathing.

"Ivanna, what was your dream about?" Kahi asked sadly.

"Some pretty asshole who decided to strangle me after getting upset that I wasn't giving him the proper respect or something," she whispered weakly. "It was just a dream…"

"Maybe it is time to go back to Dr. Yoon to get a sleeping medicine to prevent these dreams? They are obviously affecting you too much to be waking up, gasping for air, and screaming in your sleep."

"I'm not taking any more medicine, Uncle Kahi. I'll take what I need so that my heart does not become strained just by moving around and going out to be with my friends, but nothing else."

"These dreams will be the death of you, Ivanna."

"Then let them. If some silver haired bastard who claims he is some inuyoukai who in one dream acts like he's falling in love with me, then in the next dream decides he wants to strangle me and I don't wake up, then let it be. I am done with excessive amount of medications," Ivanna snapped as she sat up and jerked her hand out of his larger one and grabbed the amber crescent moon necklace she had bought days ago off her night stand and put it on. "I am done having these conversations with you. You gave me power of attorney over my own health and it is my choice."

"What is this?" Kahi frowned as he touched the crescent moon.

"I found it the other day when I was out with my friends. You yelled at me for three hours when you came home that night."

"You have had multiple dreams of the same man?" Kahi's expression became pained as he looked away from her and sighed. "These dreams won't just go away, Ivanna, and that man will continue to cause you pain."

"What do you mean? I was questioning my own sanity because of these dreams, don't make me start to question yours too, Uncle Kahi," Ivanna frowned as she moved so she was sitting on the edge of the bed beside her only family.

"Your dreams are connected to that man's, a being of our past, but in the same sense, he is dreaming of a dying girl from the future. It is the present for both of you in your separate waking realities. Both dreams have felt like being thrown into the past with more forests and extravagant castles?"

"Yeah, but you're not making any sense."

"You share dreams in his present, because it is the past for us, but he cannot share dreams in your present because it is the future for him. Get dressed, Ivanna, I want to show you something."

"I think you need to check yourself into a psych ward."

"If by the end of today, you still feel that way, we'll talk," Kahi spoke quietly as he stood and left her bedroom without another word.

Confused but slightly curious to her crazy uncle's words, she got ready for the day. She made her bed quickly before pulling on a pair of blue skinny jeans and elbow-length gloves before pulling on a black long-sleeved shirt. Wrapping a black scarf around her face, she grabbed her phone and wallet and tucked them into her jean pockets as she left her bedroom.

Down in the living room, Kahi waited for her already dressed and had her coat in his arms. She slid her feet into her boots by the door as he came over then let him help her into her coat. As she buttoned the white coat up, Kahi opened the door to the garage and she followed him silently, closing the door behind her. She slid into the passenger seat of his black Nissan Altima as he turned the engine over and they were on their way.


	5. The Western Coast

Ivanna stood beside a rock she remembered that she loved sitting on when she was a child and looked around. Growing up, her parents had taken her to the ocean every weekend and Kahi would always be there as well. Kahi would always end up being buried in the sand with a sand castle being built on top of his buried body. Even the year she had chemo and was very sick, they brought her out to the ocean to help her feel better, but that had been the last year she had been happy coming to the ocean. The first weekend after spring had hit, Kahi had brought her to the ocean since her parents had been on a work trip and that was when she had learned that her parents had died in a car accident.

As she followed the edge of the coast, she could see castle ruins in the distance. Kahi was walking towards the ruins and she frowned, but followed. She never remembered there being castle ruins when she was a child, but wasn't too observant when she was too busy enjoying the weekends with her family. They reached a wall that seemed to span around the ruins and Kahi jumped over a broken section that was covered with moss and helped her over it.

"What is this place, Uncle Kai?" Ivanna frowned as she studied the worn down ruins, all the plant life that seemed to be once maintained had now grown out of control and looked wild.

"This is the remains of the Western Castle. It has been over three hundred years since I have seen its full splendor, and yet you dream of it," Kahi spoke sadly as he glanced at her. "As a child, you always asked about my hair color, why is that?"

"It never smelled or felt like dyed hair," Ivanna frowned as she took a few steps away from her uncle as she watch his violet eyes fade into a crystal blue and a blue rhombus appeared on his brow. "What's wrong with your eyes, Uncle Kahi?"

"Promise me one thing Ivanna, before I show you the one thing that will prove that neither of us has lost our sanity," Kahi spoke as he turned to face her completely. "Don't move from that spot. We are within a barrier so anyone who is beyond the wall will not see. If you move back any further, to anyone else, you would appear out of thin air. You will not be hurt."

"You're creeping me out," Ivanna muttered as she wrapped her arms around herself and he gave her a sad smile as he started backing away from her, the whites of his eyes bled red.

As she watched his face as it contorted as if in pain, her knees gave out and she collapsed to the ground and watched as his body became engulfed in a golden light. The light grew exponentially before fading and a large white dog stood before her that stood taller than the third worn balcony of the castle. The massive dog before her sat on his back haunches as his tail which was twice as long as his large body wrapped around him and the edges touched her shaking legs.

"Y…youkai… are real…?" she whispered weakly and the large white dog's head nodded and she noticed a blue rhombus on his brow that had appeared her uncle's brow before becoming this. The golden light wrapped around the massive dog and shrank before her uncle stood before her, his hair no longer in a ponytail and went to his waist. The blue rhombus disappeared and his blue eyes faded back to violet. "I don't understand…"

"I am not of blood relation, but I have been watching over your family for centuries. Caine's birth father had left when he was a child so it wasn't hard to convince him that I was a brother."

"You lied to my family?" Ivanna frowned as she watched him kneel down in front of her.

"To protect you. All these years watching and waiting so that I could protect you, Ivanna."

"And why is that? If you have been around for hundreds of years, why chose my family? Why not save my parents?"

"I told them not to go on that trip, Ivanna, but I could not go with them because they asked me to watch after you. They knew the truth before they died; the truth about me and the truth that they would not be able to return. I had wanted to protect them, but they made me promise to watch after you."

"How did you know that they would die?"

"Because this is not the first time I knew you, Ivanna. Five hundred years ago, I met and protected you from the youkai you dream of, the lord of this castle. The version of you I had met had also mentioned that a version of me had been a member of her family just like I am for you. Both you, and the one I knew had the exact same story of family tragedy, cancer, and a youkai protector."

"Why would I need a protector?"

"Because if you find your way into the past, you will die," Kahi spoke quietly, sighing as he got back to his feet, "protecting a being who caused you a lot of pain and was not worthy of your kindness."

"Everyone deserves kindness…"

"Even a cold-hearted youkai, who thrilled in killing other youkai and ninngen alike?"

"If this was all technically five hundred years ago, then the times were different. He was a Lord protecting his lands during a warring time. Who are we to judge who and what others do from a time long ago?" Ivanna snapped as she got to her feet.

"He thrilled in your pain, Ivanna."

"And yet, somehow I am sharing dreams with him. Have you, the version of me you knew, or the version of you that protected her think that maybe this is all my fate? That it is my destiny to be tied to a heartless being? To die protecting him? I chose to live the way I want instead of being constantly worried that I will never wake up or that my heart will give out completely. You have no right to tell me that just because you worry about the past, that I cannot live for my future. Just because the past version of me shared the same tragic story, it does not mean that it could end the same. We all die one day, it may be days or it may be centuries, but no one is immortal Kahi. I think it's time for you to take me back home," Ivanna snapped as she turned her back on him and walked back towards the broken wall.

"Why did you buy a necklace that has the same shape as the mark on his brow and has the same color of his eyes?" Kahi snapped back as he followed her.

"Because I want to hope that the first dream is the ending I can enjoy before I die. That someone can care and love me, despite that I am weak and dying ninngen."

"Loving anyone will cause more strain on your heart."

"Then I can't think of a better thing to fight though pain for," Ivanna spoke as she smiled over her shoulder at her uncle. "To hope that I can make a difference in the life of someone special, even if it is only by chance."

"And if you don't make any difference before you die?"

"I'd be at peace knowing that I tried."

"Stubborn girl," Kahi huffed from behind her and she laughed as she stopped walking to face him.

"You should have known that by now after raising me. Pretty sure I got that stubborn streak from you because youkai or ninngen, blood or not, you are the only family I have left."

"Oh what am I going to do with you, little one?" he chuckled as he picked her up and set her on his right shoulder and held her legs. She gripped his jacket behind the left side of his head so that she could support herself as he carried her. "Shall we go get some lunch?"

"Can we go to that restaurant we would always go to when I was a kid? We haven't gone there since before they died."

"I would definitely say that we are overdue to visit there," he smiled as they reached the car and he set her down so she could get in.

"Thank you for being my uncle, Kahi. I don't know where I would be if you hadn't been a part of my life," Ivanna smiled after several minutes of them driving down the road.

"It has been a pleasure being your uncle, little one," Kahi smiled as he pulled into the familiar parking lot.


	6. Awkward Talks

"You have a lot of money, don't you? After living so long, investing your assets and all that has to have become a huge profit after so long," Ivanna mused as she saw the house in the distance.

After lunch, they had gone to her parent's graves and got fresh flowers to lay down as well as to clean up their tombstone. That had taken up a few hours then Kahi had taken her to the dojo so he didn't have to cancel his afternoon classes. A few of the other men who helped Kahi with the different classes had guided her through self-defensive maneuvers by her uncle's request. With careful instructions to keep her breathing regulated to not stress her heart, she was able to practice a little before she started to feel the strain.

"You're too smart for your own good," Kahi shook his head as he pulled into the garage and they got out.

"Well considering that you wouldn't be that well off being a simple ninngen dojo master. It makes sense, unless you had dirty money to have been able to afford paying all the medical bills," she shrugged.

"Is that what you've thought all this time?"

"After seeing some of the bills for my treatments, yeah. Though either you were some kind of dealer or part of a gang like yakuza or something. Since what I have is extremely rare, I always knew the treatments were more expensive but to hear that you could easily pay off each bill in a single payment…"

"I have had quite a few years to prepare for this."

"If you knew me back then, does that mean that the one I've been dreaming about is alive as well somewhere? Is he any different now?"

"Five hundred years and a battle that destroyed most youkai strongholds and forced most youkai into hiding will change anyone, Ivanna. No one knows if he is still alive and since we made a pact with a priestess for concealment charms that could also change appearances completely and hide our energies, it has been impossible. He has been one of few youkai that none of the council can locate since the battle that forced us into hiding. We have been trying for centuries with not even a single rumor."

"Is he dead?"

"We don't know. Ninngen had burned all the youkai that died and no one saw his body among the dead, but neither among the living, none of his soldiers could even find him after it all happened."

"I see. That's rather disappointing."

"Even if he was still alive, you would not be allowed to meet him. The council has prohibited all contact between those of the past and those of the present. I am the only exception since I am your legal guardian and have been your ancestor's protector for several centuries. Even with the dreams, not much is remembered. Even your so called fate has made it so that only a few key things can be remembered after waking up. Names cannot be spoken and if you try, the other would be unable to hear it."

"So he might not remember that he tried to strangle me?"

"There is a small chance that he may. From what I remember, there was very few dreams shared that either of you had any control of your own actions. Fate guided most dreams and there is no control over the dreams or when they happen. They only trigger when both would fall asleep."

"So he didn't sleep regularly?"

"Most youkai do not require much sleep. We can go days or weeks without tiring or needing sleep."

"Lucky bastards," Ivanna huffed.

"You think that, but wait until you learn of some of our more carnal behaviors."

"Don't you think I'm a little too young to be hearing about the ways youkai have sex?"

"I don't know how much longer it will be before you find yourself in the past. Your past version was never clear on that, so learning what you can now so you can be prepared for anything later is the best we can do now. Mating season can be a wondrous time but it also can be very dangerous. Youkai females go into heat yearly and youkai males go into a frenzy that for most cannot be controlled. Even without consent, youkai will rut until the females are pupped and the male's frenzy is quenched. The males will sometimes turn that frenzy on ninngen and sometimes end up killing their unwilling partner and will find another."

"Sounds like when someone takes aphrodisiacs."

"You're not far off, but it is a natural chemical in youkai that is triggered during mating season. Only those who have been mated through blood are exempt from these seasons. Those who did not want any illegitimate children usually would hid themselves away for the season, but some stubbornly believed that they could easily control their carnal behaviors. Others sometimes took up male partners for the release."

"I did not need that image in my head, uncle," Ivanna grimaced as started some tea before sitting down at the bar.

"My mate would have been so disappointed that you would think that I would be one to take up a male partner," Kahi chuckled as he started pulling out ingredients so that he could make dinner.

"You're married? Why have I never known this?"

"Kanoko died not long after youkai were forced into hiding. If she were still here, she would be yelling at how much of a bad parent I am," he smiled as he started cutting up some chicken. "Maybe you wouldn't have been such a stubborn child."

"Did you ever think about remarrying?"

"Most inuyoukai mate only once in their lives. Some lords would mate more than once if their mate passes so that they continuously have heirs and keep their line strong, but most usually had an abundance of heirs. For a youkai female to be pregnant, it would be multiples all the times. Inuyoukai had it worse since they would have litters of pups."

"But what about the one I dream of? I remember him saying that he was inuyoukai and only had a half-sibling," Ivanna frowned.

"The Lady Mother had a difficult time becoming pupped and was lucky to be able to conceive a single pup. After he had reached his third century, his sire had found a ninngen that he fallen for. After that child had been born, their sire lost his life in a battle protecting the younger."

"You are really good at making sure you don't mention any names, you know that?"

"I would be in a lot of trouble if I revealed names and events too soon before you go back. I've had to practice a lot in preparation for when I needed to start explaining things to you when you were ready."


	7. Uninvited Guests

Several knocks on the door interrupted Kahi and he frowned as he looked up from putting a pot of water on the stove. "It's a little late for visitors. Would you answer that Ivanna?"

"Sure," she shrugged and hopped off the stool and walked over to the front door.

Through the glass of the door she could see that it was a man with short black hair and he was tall. Unlocking the door and opening it, she noticed hazel brown eyes and a single silver hoop in his left ear. He wore a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath and a black tie in place. Frowning at the fact that anyone would seem comfortable in a suit after work hours with the top button and tie still snug in place.

"Can I help you sir?" she asked.

"I am looking for Kahi Yukimura," he spoke, his voice unfamiliar.

"Uncle," Ivanna called as she stepped back and let the man in. "It's for you."

"Go ahead and bring them in," he called back as she heard the sizzle of chicken being cooked.

"So lazy that he'd rather continue cooking than greet a guest," Ivanna muttered as she gestured for the man to follow after he slid off his shoes. "My apologies for my uncle's shitty manners."

"I'm pretty sure I have said my piece about your language, young lady," Kahi spoke as they entered the kitchen and he turned around to face them. "Oh… Ivanna would you finish dinner?"

"Okay…?" Ivanna frowned at her uncle's sudden behavior.

She took the spatula from him as he ushered the man out of the kitchen and down to his office. Giving it several long seconds, she moved the cooked chicken off the hot burner and turn on the sink before quietly moving down the hallway to the office door that was closed. Either Kahi was upset or thought that she would actually stay in the kitchen since he did not bother lowering his voice and she didn't even have to press her ear to the door to listen.

"You cannot be here, you know that," Kahi spoke. "Why did you not call?"

"What has changed? My secretary noticed that the invoices stopped coming for the hospital." the man spoke and Ivanna frowned. Had Kahi lied to her about paying for her treatments? Was this stranger the one paying for everything? "You said that you would notify me of any changes."

"I have had my hands full the past few days. Being a parent is not as easy as you think it would be. She has refused any further treatments and now she is having a hard time sleeping without waking in pain."

"Why have you not just taken her for treatments? You are her guardian…"

"Have you forgotten that she has control of her medical choices? I cannot force her."

"You should have not given her that control," the man snapped.

"Keep your voice down. If the council finds out that you came here, we both will be in lot more trouble than a 15 year old girl asking questions. The dreams have started."

"How many?"

"From what I can gather, only two. I've had to start teaching her after how she woke this morning."

"Damn it Kahi!"

"Trust me, I feel the frustration, but you need to leave now. Take the back door."

"And prevent this one from seeing the actual person who has been paying for all of the hospital bills? How typical of you uncle Kahi," Ivanna scoffed and heard silence as she headed back to the kitchen. After putting noodles into the pot of boiling water, she started working on making an Alfredo sauce as she heard the office doors open and two sets of footsteps. "Pretty sure a concealment and somehow still able to not speak names doesn't break any of your damn rules."

"Ivanna…" Kahi spoke and she turned around and simply looked at him and he fell silent.

"Even when you tell the truth, uncle, you somehow manage to lie at the same time. If you knows about the dreams, could possible get in trouble with your stupid council for even being here, and having Kahi keeping you updated constantly of my condition, then this one has a pretty good idea of who you are. Are you the reason that the council hasn't found him or even heard a single rumor of his location, uncle?"

"Miss…"

"You don't get to speak, Taisho," Ivanna snapped and saw him visibly flinch in surprise. "This one has a feeling that I retained more than you from the dreams. Sit, both of you."

"Told you that you shouldn't have come here," Kahi muttered as they sat at the bar and Ivanna went back to finishing up dinner. "Hell hath no fury than an upset teenage girl."

"Who the hell would be comfortable wearing a suit after all business hours are over?"

"You're bothered about that?"

"He hasn't even bothered to loosen that damn noose or top button like most people. Still seems like a prick, only change I can see is that instead of being a lord, he's a wealthy businessman. Guess you were wrong uncle, losing one's home and losing a war didn't change him much at all."

"You haven't let him speak at all…"

"This one doesn't want to hear anything he has to say."

"Then allow him to leave now that his business is done here."

"He has come during dinner time and this one has more manners than you," Ivanna snorted as she pulled out three mugs and poured the tea to stop the kettle from continuing to screech in her ears.

"Two dreams and she is already mimicking you," Kahi chuckled quietly and Ivanna saw a slight smirk from the youkai beside him when she gave them both their mugs.

"What happened in the second dream?" the youkai quietly after taking a sip of the tea.

"You got mad that I wouldn't treat you with respect because you had a title and rank then started to strangle me while talking about helping me speed up the process of my dying," she muttered as she strained the noodles and made three plates and gave two to the youkai sitting at the bar before sitting beside the nameless youkai with her tea and plate.

"That sounds like something that I would have done back then."

"I have questions and to be honest, you would probably be the best one to ask. I have a feeling that you wouldn't be able to answer much due to this council, but from the sounds of things, I will end up in the past no matter what we do and I would like to know as much as I can so that I don't find myself killed prematurely."

"I will answer what I can after this meal that you have prepared for us."

"Thank you," Ivanna spoke quietly before focusing on her dinner.

Kahi finished his meal first and immediately got up and started to work on the dishes. As the nameless youkai and Ivanna finished, Kahi took their dishes as well. The nameless youkai got up and helped finish cleaning up the kitchen before Kahi led them to his office where Ivanna immediately curled up on her hammock chair near the fireplace. The two youkai sat on the couch in beside her seat and she noticed that the nameless youkai had actually loosened his tie and the top button of his shirt was undone.

"Firstly, I figure that you wouldn't actually tell me your name, so what can I call you?"

"You may call me Tooru," he spoke simply and she nodded, glad that she didn't have to refer to him as nameless youkai anymore.

"I have already figured out that your past-self did not tolerate disrespect and to use titles as one would back in that time, but what else can I do to not have you strangle me again? I won't change myself, but it would be nice to know what I'm up against."

"Some things will have changed when you enter the past, he may not be as hasty to attack, but he may threaten you constantly. He was not a fan of ninngen and a weak human like you will test what patience he has. He traveled the land constantly, only returning to the castle when needed, so listening to his orders and not to put yourself in danger would be best. The past was a dangerous place where youkai were always a threat to attack anyone that looked like a good meal. Many youkai loved ninngen flesh, so you may possibly be a target no matter what you do.

"He will provide food, clothing, and shelter once you become part of his pack, but do not expect a lot of time to rest during your travels. It will be trying on your body and it would be best to find some kind of herbal remedy to help slow your heart when it becomes strained since you will not have access to the medications you have now. He will not help so you will have to rely on the others of his pack to help when you cannot do something on your own, but you will be expected to do the best you can," Tooru explained and Ivanna frowned.

"Lavender, chamomile, and lemon balms will help the best," Kahi spoke after a moment. "That's what we used back then for your fits."

"That seems to cover a few things, so last question. Why are my dreams connected with your past-self?"

"That is one question I have never been able to answer myself."

"I see," Ivanna sighed before getting to her feet. "I think that I am going to head to bed. Thank you for the answers you were able to give me, but do not ever return here. I don't want my uncle to be getting in trouble because of your own carelessness. Good night, uncle."

"Good night little one," Kahi spoke and Ivanna left the room, not giving Tooru a second glance as it was not his real form that she remembered from her dreams and his name was fake. She could hear them start talking as she reached the stairs up to her room, but no longer cared now that she had gotten answers. Slipping on her pajamas, she crawled under the covers and was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


	8. Youkai of her Dreams

Ivanna sat in the classroom of her last class and stared out the window instead of listening to the lecture she had already finished the homework for. It had been two weeks since Tooru had shown up at her house and no dreams had happened since. She was starting to wonder what was happening in the past to make the youkai that shared dreams with her not sleep for such a long period of time. Kagome had also been gone since she had officially met her and wondered if she had gotten her mom to help get the homework packets so that she could stay on top of her classes.

Eri, Yura, and Ayumi had been busy with studying for the finals coming up so it left Ivanna to her own thing and she was getting bored. Kahi said that she could start coming to the dojo after school and keep practicing on self-defense and she was slowly being able to last longer each day and practice a little more each time. The only drawback of working her body so much in the evenings was that the mornings after, she would be in pain when she woke up. Kahi was also working with her to slowly get off her medications and use only the herbs that would be available to her when she ended up going back. The school bell rang, signaling the end of the school day and Ivanna walked down to switch her shoes out and get her bag that held clothes that she could change into when she headed over to Kahi's dojo for practice.

"Ivanna, did you want to go to the mall today?" Ayumi asked as they caught up to her at the lockers.

"How's your study sessions been?" Ivanna asked as she waited for the three girls to switch their shoes and get their bags as well.

"It's tiring, but we thought that we could use a break and felt like we were ignoring you," Eri smiled sadly.

"I've kept myself busy. Uncle Kahi finally has let me start going to the dojo and work a little bit and teaching me some self-defense. He doesn't let me push myself though, but it's been a good distraction. You guys don't have to feel bad about focusing on the finals coming up."

"Who's that hottie by the black car?" Yura whispered and Ivanna looked at the direction her friend was looking.

"Tooru?" Ivanna frowned seeing the youkai leaning against the door of a black Camaro. "I'll have to take a rain check on hanging out today. That is a friend of my uncle."

"Jealous," Eri squealed quietly.

"He is way too cute to be friends with that old fart," Yura giggled and Ivanna felt like hitting her head against a wall.

"I'll see you guys on Monday," Ivanna called as she hurried down the sidewalk to confront the youkai who was not supposed to even come near her. "What can I do for you, Tooru? I thought I made myself clear."

"This may be the last time that we may be able to talk like this," Tooru spoke as he pushed off his car and opened the passenger door for her.

"That soon?" Ivanna frowned, feeling as if her heart had just dropped into her stomach and he nodded. She got into the car and he closed the door for her before walking around to get into the driver's seat. "Uncle doesn't know exactly how many dreams happen, does he?"

"No, it's better for him to think that there will be more time to get you ready for this. If he knew, I feel that he would try to prevent you from sleeping. He was only supposed to be your caretaker and protector, but somewhere along the way, he actually became attached and think that you were like a daughter to him," he spoke as he started weaving through cars at a faster speed than she was comfortable with.

"How do I end up in the past?"

"From what I remember back then, you said that you had fallen asleep in your bed and woke up there. You had thought it was a dream until you had woken up the next morning. I wanted to give you something that will actually come with you to the past and Kahi was in agreement with this meeting, though he thinks that there will be several more dreams."

"There was only two, wasn't there?" Ivanna spoke sadly and he nodded as he glanced at her. "Do I ever come back here?"

"There was a priestess who traveled through a portal between this time and the past, but you could never make it through, no matter how many times the two of you tried. Once in the past, there will be no way back to the present for you. It may not seem like much, but this one apologies for everything that happens to you after you meet him."

"I was successful in making a difference for you, wasn't I?" Ivanna smiled.

"What kind of ninngen would throw their own life away for someone else?"

"One who had accepted that she didn't have the time to be able to fully live her own life so she gave what little time she had to help someone live theirs."

"Kahi had told me about how you think that this is your fate. To die for that heartless youkai."

"I don't think of it like that. Because of the ability to share dreams, he has become someone special even if he does act like an arrogant prick and if I can make a difference in his life or even if I don't before I die, I know that I'll be at peace knowing I lived and that I tried."

"What did this one ever do to deserve such a selfless ninngen like you?"

"Who knows? Maybe you did something that fate thought was redeemable?" she smiled as he pulled into a long driveway and frowned seeing the large house at the end of the driveway. "It's amazing that the council hasn't found you if this is the way you are living your life as a wealthy businessman."

"Because they expect this one to have died instead of living right under their noses."

"What are we doing here? Going to show me your true youkai form like Kahi did?"

"There are no barriers around this estate so if this one were to do that, the council would immediately find out that I was still alive. The thing that Kahi and I want to give you before you go is here. It took some time having it made and was mailed here once complete."

"Guess that makes sense," she chuckled as they got out of the car and headed inside.

Once through the front door, Tooru took her to a room right off the main hall and handed her a brown package. She glanced at him and he only gave her a nod before she sat and opened the rectangular box, revealing a black velvet jewelry box. She pulled off the lid and frowned seeing the custom-made necklace that sat on a satin pillow. The necklace itself was only a silver chain but the gem is what caught her eye. It was a crescent moon with a rhombus connecting to each tip of the moon. The moon's gem was a deep amber like the necklace she wore and the rhombus' gem was a crystal blue like Kahi's eyes when the violet had faded from his eyes.

Tooru came behind her and removed the necklace she wore before picking up the necklace from the satin and put it on her. As he came back around to face her, the crescent moon necklace's chain was wrapped around his fingers. She touched the gem that sat just below her collarbone and knew that it would sit just above her tattoos.

"Kahi's energy has been fused with the gems so that when you meet my past-self, he will recognize the energy. He always conquests for more power, but is also curious and searches for more knowledge. It will give you some protection but do not ever take it off. This is all I can do for you."

"Seeing who you are now, it makes me happy that I will be able to make a difference," Ivanna smiled as she stood and hugged him. Feeling him flinch, she knew she had caught him off guard and his arms did not move from their place at his side. Stepping back after a moment, she looked up at him and saw that his eyes were slightly wide in his surprise. "I think it's time for you to take me back. Uncle Kahi may start to worry if I take too long before meeting him at the dojo."

"I'll have a driver take you back. It would be better that you are not seen with me anymore. Hold onto whatever it is you see in this version of me, because the other is cruel," Tooru spoke quietly and she froze as he touched her cheek. "There is so much that he does to you that would break any normal ninngen's spirit."

"I hold onto that first dream we had shared," she smiled, closing her eyes as she did. "That for a moment, even if it was only a dream, that there was someone who seemed so happy and in love with dying girl. I remember feeling so safe on that balcony and the strong feeling I had felt with those arms around me, I had actually forgotten for a moment that I did not have long to live. Seeing how you are now, I'll hold onto this as well and hope I live long enough to make enough of a difference to start the change in him for him to become you one day."

"You are a special ninngen," he whispered and she opened her eyes just as she felt his lips on her brow. "Your driver is waiting."

"Take care of yourself, Taisho," Ivanna smiled quietly, feeling tears well up as she stepped back and felt his fingers trace her cheek as she moved out of reach. "I guess you can keep that necklace as a memento of that special ninngen you'll never be able to meet again."

"Goodbye Ivanna," he spoke as she turned away from him.

Feeling the tears spill over and fall down her cheeks, she left the house and saw a man with greying hair waiting with the passenger door open. She quietly thanked the man as she got into the car and they were on their way. Closing her eyes, it took every inch of her control to not look back at the house where she had learned that the youkai of her dreams had actually fallen for her over time.


	9. Time to Say Goodbye

"There you are, little one, I was starting to worry," Kahi spoke as she stepped into the dojo where her uncle was currently teaching a group of ten year olds. She walked over to him as he watched the children sparring with each other for the last part of their session. "I see you got the necklace we had made for you. Okay boys, go ahead and clean up. Your parents will be here soon."

"He had to take me to his estate for it," Ivanna spoke as she followed him into his office and curled up on the couch.

"That would explain why it took longer than I thought. Are you okay? It looks like you've been crying. What did he tell you?"

"He didn't say anything other than explain the properties of the necklace," she lied with a shrug. "Wasn't very talkative this time around. I know that we weren't supposed to ever meet but it was nice to see who he became."

"And...?" Kahi frowned as he looked at her.

"It's hard knowing that I'll never see that side of him ever again. I don't know how long it'll be before I go so I can't be going and saying goodbye to my friends, to say goodbye to you… What will we tell people?"

"How about when we get home, you write letters to everyone you want to say goodbye to and leave them on your desk? That way you'll be prepared for whenever it happens, you won't leave any regrets here and I'll make sure to deliver them. To those you leave behind, we'll tell them that it was your cancer. I really wish that I could tell you that you'll make it back, but the way you go back, there is no return."

"Tooru may have mentioned something about that," she muttered. "Something about a priestess who regularly goes through some portal between here and there. That she tried to bring me back but it didn't work."

"Is there anything else that he told you that you're not saying?" Kahi demanded and she shook her head, thinking about how soon she would be leaving if he was right. "Ivanna Dai Yukimura you are the world's worst liar. You're thinking about whatever it is you don't want to tell me."

"He kissed me on the forehead after I ended up hugging him," she blurted out, saying the first thing that she could think of that wasn't the one thing she could never tell him.

"Oh… I see why it would have been hard to say goodbye then. Being able to see how much he has changed because you entered his life, to see the final change before meeting who he was…"

"If you wanted to write a letter for him…"

"He made it clear that I would never see him again. We already said our final goodbyes and he kept my necklace as a memento. Do you have any other sessions tonight?"

"Not tonight."

"Can we order out from that dumpling shop down the street?" Ivanna asked as she followed him to the cleaning closet and pulled out the mop and bucket. Filling up the bucket with water and cleaner for the mats, she got to work on mopping the floors while he started to sanitize all the equipment.

"I don't have any problem with that," Kahi hummed happily as they worked on cleaning up the dojo. "Any homework for this weekend that you need to catch up on?"

"No, I've already turned in this last week's today. I planned to work on next week's packet on Sunday," Ivanna smiled as she finished mopping and carried the bucket back to the mop sink to dump it. "Movie night in your room tonight? It's been a few weeks since we've had one. I want to spend as much time as I can with you while I am able."

"Sounds like a date, little one," Kahi smiled as he took the bucket of dirty mop water from her and dumped it. "Why don't you call in our order? You know what I like, I'll finish up here and lock up."

"Sure," Ivanna smiled before grabbing her bag, her smile fading as soon as she stepped outside.

* * *

Kahi looked over at the girl he had waited half of a millennia to care for as she fought to keep her glazed eyes open to watch the movie. She had picked some iconic American film called _'The Princess Bride'_ that was about a boy sick in bed, who's grandfather reads him the story of a farm boy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love. Now the characters were planning to storm the castle to save the girl and Ivanna was fighting to stay awake to watch.

Smiling at how determined she was to try and finish the movie, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close so that she could lay her head on his shoulder and her eyes fell shut. He listened to her slow breathes and her weak heart beating instead of watching the movie and smiled sadly as he thought of her inevitable future. As he started to focus back on the movie, Ivanna's breaths started becoming ragged and her heartbeats out of sync. He looked back down at her and saw a pained expression on her sleeping face.

Feeling his own heart drop into his stomach he started shaking her to try and wake her but she was not responding as the beats of her heart became more and more strained and her breaths more shallow. Pulling her into his lap and rocking her small body as she fought her dreams, he felt hot tears fall down his own cheeks. He heard a door slam closed in the house before the inuyoukai that never strayed too far away from the dying girl in his arms stood in the doorway, his shirt and jacket out of place as if he had been running and the expression on his face made Kahi dread what was happening.

"She won't wake back up… will she?" Kahi whispered as he looked back down at Ivanna, her head against his upper arm and he could see her pained expression.

"No…" Tooru spoke solemnly.

"How does she arrive in the past if she is here?"

"That I do not know."

"But you knew that tonight was her last?! Why did you never tell me this? We could have better prepared her for her future…"

"You would have forced her to stay awake and only prolong the inevitable, but even then I don't think anything would have stopped this night. It is her fate to enter the past in a way that would prevent her from being able to use the same portal like the priestess does. She had agreed it was best not to tell you so that she could make best of her last night with her family."

"You told her?"

"I had to give her the time she needed to so that she could take care of the regrets she had… to say goodbye to everyone she cared about. She needed the closure."

"And what about me?!"

"You were never supposed to get so attached. You were only supposed to be her caretaker, Kahi."

"I tried to…" Kahi whispered sadly as he listened to Ivanna's breaths as her shallow breaths slowed, many seconds in between each breath. "She's dying…"

"To have to die twice…"

"Fate has a twisted sense of humor," Kahi cried as he rocked Ivanna in his arms, tears falling down her own cheeks from her pain.

Tooru sat beside him on the bed and held her hand silently as she gasped for air and a tremor racked through her body. Her heart feebly tried to keep beating but each beat was slower than the last. Soon the beats of her heart fell silent and her body went limp as she exhaled for the last time. Both youkai let out whimpers and closed their eyes, mourning silently.

A light seemed to press against the lids of their eyes and as they opened their eyes, they had to squint at the bright light that seemed to be coming from Ivanna. The visible parts of her tattoos glowed purple as the light seemed to wrap around her body. The light became so bright that both youkai had to close their eyes to protect themselves and soon the light disappeared and when they were able to open their eyes again, Ivanna's body was gone, the clothes she had been wearing still in Kahi's lap.

"The fates spirited her body to the past…" Kahi gasped as he touched the shirt.

"That explains a lot," Tooru spoke with a small snort of amusement. "It's time to take my leave."

"Now that she has gone back, are you going to reveal yourself to the council?"

"No. I doubt you will see me again, old friend, for if I reveal myself, you will pay for it as much as I would," the inuyoukai spoke as he stood.

"Take care of yourself, my friend. I have a funeral to plan for those of this time and letters to deliver with her goodbyes."

"Call my office if you need anything further," Tooru spoke before disappearing from the room.


	10. Night Encounters

The faint singing of a female caught his sensitive hearing. Whoever was singing was either strong enough to protect themselves from any who would wander to investigate as she had a beautiful singing voice or completely clueless as to how many youkais lived in these woods. Jumping down from the tree he had been in, he glanced at his pack as they slept around the fire. The young mute human girl was curled up against the two-headed dragon, Ah-Un, tucked in between several fur pelts while his retainer, Jaken, was asleep on the other side of the fire. Ah-Un lifted their heads silently in acknowledgement as he left the clearing to investigate the singing woman.

Reaching a large clearing full of wild lavender that he had passed earlier during his patrol, he paused seeing a blackened circle visible in the moonlight near its center where the singing seemed to be coming from. His nose picked up the remnants of fire and ash but the lavender fields covered up any other scent. He sensed other youkais hiding in the woods around the clearing but none seemed to dare go any further. Sneering at the thought that the dozens of youkais seemed too entranced in the woman's voice to move closer, he moved through the fields to its blackened circle.

Reaching the edges of the blackened lavender, the Western Lord finally could smell the woman's natural scent of blackberries and hints of vanilla and he noticed that it was a perfect circle around the young woman was bare of any clothing. Her long dark hair was braided over her right shoulder and went past her hips. A scar across the center of her chest from a couple inches below her collar bone down to just above her navel could be seen under the black markings across her chest. It ran just below both collarbones from the tips of her shoulders and down her sternum and spread out under her formed breasts to cover her lower ribs and curved down to meet just above her navel. It looked like a mix of chains and lace spread across her body, almost hiding the scar completely. Across her neck was a silver chain, but he couldn't tell if there was anything else to it as the chain disappeared under her.

"Onna, have you no shame or do you wish the dozens of youkais to come and have their way with your person?"

"Oh…? That voice…?" The woman stopped singing and tilted her head back to look at him revealing dark eyes that did not show color in the shadows. "Hmm your eyes are darker than his…"

"Why is your person bare?"

"I wonder…" she mused as she looked back up at the night sky. "I honestly can't feel my body right now so I didn't realize that I was naked. It seems that I cannot move very much of my body since I have woken up. Last thing I remember was dreaming, but then again my dreams have made no sense lately."

"Your speech is odd. You are not from here." Sesshomaru frowned. The way she spoke was odd, her wording and how she pronounced words was accented.

"Says the person who speaks in third person. I wonder if I'm actually dreaming, this place is like no place I've ever seen. It's better than the ocean in my other dreams."

That comment made Sesshomaru frown, remembering waking from several dreams that had been set at his bedroom balcony that overlooked the ocean weeks ago. Stepping forward, he pulled his outer haori off and knelt beside her and sat her up. Propping her limp body against his leg, he started to dress her in his haori when his hand came in contact with the rest of her necklace. Pulling it into view, he frowned seeing a crescent moon connected to a rhombus.

"What is this?" He frowned, feeling a familiar energy wrapped in the gems of light blue and amber.

"Someone dear to me had it made. He said he had infused his energy into it, but I can't tell a difference," she spoke quietly as he finished wrapping the haori around her small body before pulling her into his arm and started walking back towards his camp. "What are you doing?"

"There questions that need to be answered," he spoke.

"If I am dreaming, please let me wake up now," she groaned as her head fell back against his shoulder. "Or this paralyses better be temporary because I feel like a child with you holding me like this."

"And why is an onna like you so small?"

"I've been sick for a two-thirds of my life. From all the treatments and medicines to try and help me, my growth was stunted."

"Hn." He reaches his camp and pulled out several extra pelts and laid one down before laying her down on its white fur and laid the other fire on top of her. "Sleep onna."

"I can feel that helping me like this is not your usual style around others so thank you," she whispered.

"It is not for your wellbeing that this one acted."

"I appreciate the help no matter what reasoning you had behind your actions," she mused as he jumped back up into the tree he had been in before she had caught his interest. As she closed her eyes, he heard her whisper quietly to herself, "Please let me wake up in my own bed."

As the young woman fell asleep, he studied her and noticed that as the fire illuminated the immediate area, her hair seemed to have a deep violet shade of color. Comparing her form to the young mute child sleeping near by, he could see a frailty in her small frame that made him wonder why kind of illness she had.

Closing his eyes, he listened to the sounds of his pack and noticed the weak beats of the woman's heart compared to the others. Her heart was struggling and the long scar across her chest seemed to make a little more sense. Hoping to make sense of this strange woman before her weak heart failed, he let himself slip off into a light sleep.


	11. The First Day of the Rest of Her Life

The Western Lord landed silently besides the newest member of his pack while he figured her out and studied her as a few rays of light peaked through the trees in the early morning. She hadn't moved from the position he had put her in when he laid her on the white pelts she slept on and slept quietly. As Jaken started snoring loud enough to grate on his ears, he kicked a rock at him to wake him and the mute child stirred at the sounds.

The child grinned up at him before crawling out from under her pelts and immediately moved to roll them up and put them into the leather bag that carried them when traveling. Jaken got up and immediately started tending to the dying fire, neither noticing the sleeping woman. Sesshomaru sat down against a tree near the sleeping woman as the child grabbed Ah-Un's reigns and led him out of the clearing as she went to go scavenge for food. Jaken scampered after the child, squawking at her about her carelessness after the fire was taken care off, brandishing the two-headed staff as he ran.

A slight hitch of breath alerted Sesshomaru to the young woman near him and he looked down at her as violet eyes opened and stared up at the trees above her. A quiet sigh escaped her lips before her arms came above her head as she stretched, her back arching off the ground as she did, but her legs didn't move other than a slight shift from the stretch. She left her arms above her head and turned her head to the side towards him, her eyes locking onto his.

"I guess it wasn't a dream," she spoke quietly.

"The paralysis was temporary," he mused.

"Except I still cannot feel my legs. I apologize for making you have to inconvenience yourself for my sake," she frowned as she slowly sat up, having to use her arms to push herself up and sighed. He noticed one of her hands grip the cloth over her heart even though she was looking around the camp. "Is there any chance that after the feeling returns to the rest of my body that I could visit a healer for a couple things?"

"Your heart is weak, onna."

"I know."

"This is your illness."

"I know my fate, but with the time I have left, I wish to live the best I can. This place… this world… none of it is familiar to me… I know what you are, but until a couple weeks ago, I did not even know that youkai were real. My guardian and protector had to transform for me to believe it."

"Why would a youkai care for a dying ninngen?" he scoffed.

"That is a question I cannot answer," she smiled as she looked back at him.

"Come back here you stupid child!" Jaken screeched and he saw the woman flinch at the sound before the child came into view with several fish in her hands. "Lord Sesshomaru, why is that wretched ninngen wearing your outer haori?!"

"Jaken, prepare Ah-Un for travel. After the ninngen eat, we depart," Sesshomaru spoke before walking out of the clearing.

* * *

Ivanna watched as the inuyoukai disappear into the forest before focusing on the remaining group as a two-headed scaled beast lumbered into view that was as big as a horse. The beast came over to her and lowered both heads to sniff her and she lifted a hand to each head and was met with forked tongues across both palms. She smiled up at the beast before it laid back down besides its saddle on the ground by several bags. The child had speared the fish she had caught and they were cooking and she came over and tugged at the pelt that covered her from the waist down.

"You want these?" Ivanna asked, confused that the child hadn't uttered a sound.

"Don't bother asking that child anything. She hasn't spoken a word since the day Lord Sesshomaru brought her back from the dead," the toad-like blue creature squawked as he pulled the saddle onto the scaled beast. "Gather up the supplies while your food cooks. Lord Sesshomaru does not like to be kept waiting."

"There is only so much I can do, you stupid toad," Ivanna huffed quietly as the child started rolling up the top pelt. Using her arms, she scooted backwards off the pelt and the child stopped rolling the pelts and ran over with a confused frown on her face. "No need to worry about me, little one. I have more feeling in my body than I did last night. Finish cleaning up while the food cooks."

The child only nodded and went back to rolling up the pelts and put them in a bag while the toad that she assumed was Jaken started tying bags to the saddle. Moving so that she could pull her body over to the two-headed beast, she pulled bags closer and held them up to Jaken so that he could tie them to the saddle and soon, the child was bringing bags to her so that she could lift them up to be tied.

Once they were done, Jaken muttered a thanks before the child brought her one of the fish. The child sat down beside her and ate her own fish while Jaken worked on stomping out the fire before sitting to eat his own. Ivanna ate what she could, never eating a fresh fish and held out the rest of hers to the beast beside her and the left head ate it with a gentle growl.

"Help me out if you can," Ivanna spoke gently as she wrapped her hands around his reigns and held tightly as he lifted his head up. The scaled beast easily lifted her up and turned his head around and managed to sit her onto its saddle sideways. "Thank you."

"His name is Ah-Un," the Inuyoukai spoke, coming into view.

"We are ready to depart, Lord Sesshomaru. Both the disabled ninngen were able to help pack up camp," Jaken squawked as he climbed up behind Ivanna. Ivanna helped the child climb up and sit on the saddle in front of her.

"When I can feel my legs again, toad, you will regret calling me as such," Ivanna muttered as she gripped Ah-Un's reigns as the creature started following it's master as he turned and walked back into the forest.

"And what could a weak ninngen do to the great Jaken?" the toad laughed and she turned to look at the toad behind her before pushing him off Ah-Un, grinning as he toppled and landed on his face in the dirt. "You ungrateful little…!"

"Jaken," Sesshomaru warned and the toad fell silent as he hurried and climbed back onto Ah-Un.

Sesshomaru stopped walking and turned back to face them and Ivanna watched him, confused as he looked at her. Soon, he walked closer and pulled her off Ah-Un, and back in his arm before jumping into the air. Ivanna felt all air leave her at the sudden movement and gripped his armor as they broke through the trees and kept going higher.

"What are you doing?" Ivanna gasped, trying to get air back into her lungs.

"You need proper clothing and this one will not tolerate you continuing to insult my retainer," he spoke simply.

"Tell him to watch his mouth. I don't do with people disrespecting me just because they don't know me or the situation and I feel that just because I am a ninngen, he is even more spiteful. If he is in your service, my lord, he should know better than to speak so disrespectfully to anyone while in your presence or even while in your service," Ivanna snorted as she let go of his armor and crossed her arms across her chest. "But that's beside the point, what does having to pull me off of Ah-Un accomplish to getting proper clothing?"

"While you cannot feel your lower limbs, you cannot properly ride Ah-Un when flying without chance of sliding off."

"Ah-Un can fly? Wait… how can you fly? Aren't you an inuyoukai? Neither of you have wings."

"Ah-Un is a dragon and as a lord, this one simply needs jaki," he smirked.

"Right," Ivanna frowned as she watched the landscape zoom by. "The air is cold. What season is it here?"

"Mid-summer."

"I get cold easily and sadly if I cannot keep my body temperature somewhat regulated, it causes further strain on my body."

"Hn."

"It's bothersome, I know," Ivanna sighed. "Guess that was the only good thing with the paralysis."

"What is the name of the one who's energy is within your amulet?"

"Kahi Yukimura but I don't know if that was his actual name. He said he had protected my family for many centuries but I do know that he is inuyoukai with hair the same color of yours, blue eyes the color of the sky and the shape of a blue rhombus on his brow." She looked up at him and saw him frown slightly, his eyes focused on land as they flew. "Do you know him?"

"Hn."

"You don't talk much, do you?"

"This one does not feel the need to talk unless necessary."

"I guess that makes sense. Oh, I just realized that I never introduced myself, talk about bad manners," Ivanna chuckled as she looked back at the land zooming past them. "I am Ivanna Yukimura."

"Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands," he spoke as she saw a bunch of buildings coming into view.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord. I apologize that I do not have more control over my body."

"Your control is returning slowly. You are indebted to this one now until otherwise spoken. If I give you an order, you will comply with no complaints. Disobedience and disrespect will be punished accordingly."

"That is fine," Ivanna spoke with a small smile. "I will do the best that I can and hope that my illness does not interfere."

"For a ninngen, you are oddly compliant about this."

"My dreams became connected with yours and fate brought me to your world. I would rather do my best to help another than sulk about knowing that my time is limited. It gives me purpose."

"You seem knowledgeable of your illness."

"In my world, there are many medicines and treatments for almost every disease and sickness known except for the type of illness I carry. Our doctors haven't quite learned how to cure cancer yet and I had a form that was more rare than most heart cancer. The heart I carry within me now is not the one I was born with and will eventually fail due to the illness that my doctors have not been able to cure. I am eight years past the life expectancy I was given."

"The scar on your chest…"

"Open-heart surgery and transplant. The tattoos done was my guardian's idea and at a side glance, most miss the scar," she spoke as he descended and landed outside of the village. "What is this place?"

"A village within my lands. There is a healer and clothes maker here."

"If you are Lord of the West, why do you travel so much with no soldiers to protect you?"

"I do as I please," he spoke, amusement in his voice as he walked into the village and she noticed most of the people cowered away from them as he walked past. They entered a large hut and Ivanna noticed shelves full of cloth of every color. The mute child ran past them and sat at the low table, looking around with a smile on her face. "Nuri."

"Welcome my Lord. If my cousin finds out that you came to me instead of her, she will be most upset. I just sent a shipment of silk up to your palace for her," a female voice spoke before a woman came out with long lavender hair to her knees and she wore a two-layered black kimono while a yellow lightning bolt sat on her brow. "Oh, who are these two? It's not like you to travel with ninngen, my Lord."

"It does not concern you. This onna needs clothing."

"And why are you cradling the onna like a child?"

"This onna is Ivanna," Ivanna huffed, annoyed that she was being ignored when they were talking about her. "I am indebted to Lord Sesshomaru, but an incident happened and temporarily became paralyzed. I am still recovering from that and have no feeling from my lower body yet."

"You found quite a spitfire, didn't you?" Nuri grinned before pulling Ivanna into her arm. "I suspect you will be leaving them in my care for a little while?"

"Hn."

"Very well," Nuri chuckled.

"My lord?" Ivanna frowned as he turned and headed towards the entrance.

"Don't worry about him, he will be back," Nuri spoke as Sesshomaru disappeared without glancing back.


	12. The Caring Seamstress

"Come little one, we'll get you a new kimono as well. If he has taken you into his care, he won't abandon you. Now, what kind of clothing would you prefer Ivanna?" Nuri spoke as she walked into another room with the child close behind.

"I… I don't know… your clothing is much different than what I know. I know nothing of the styles you wear or of what Lord Sesshomaru wears. The only thing I do know is that whatever the style that is chosen, it must be able to keep me warm. Best comparison is to create a winterized version."

"You would suffer from the summer heat, onna…"

"I am always feeling cold, but if I become much colder it will start hurting," Ivanna spoke and Nuri sat her in front of a fire with a frown.

"Your heart…" Nuri gasped and spun to face her.

"I know," Ivanna smiled as the child sat beside her. "Our lord knows as well so it is best left unspoken."

"You carry a heavy burden, Ivanna. Now how would you suggest we get proper measurements if you cannot stand. I am only one Youkai."

"The lost feeling is only from my thighs down, I can lift myself," Ivanna spoke as she used her arms to lift her bottom off the ground to demonstrate.

"That should work. Now would you rather kimonos like myself or hamakas and haoris?"

"I honestly have no idea which would feel more comfortable. I hope that by the end of today the paralysis fades completely…"

"Nuri!" A male voice called from the entrance. "Lord Sesshomaru sent me over, so you know why?"

"He has two new pack mates he may have wanted you to check on, come on back," Nuri called before a tall man who looked like he was in his fifties entered with graying brown hair and hazel eyes. "Ivanna, this is Takashi, he is the healer of our village. Takashi, this is Ivanna and…"

"I don't know her name," Ivanna spoke as Nuri looked at the child. "From what I've been told by Lord Sesshomaru's retainer, she is mute but I hope that soon I would be able to start teaching her to communicate in other ways."

"You look too young to be educated so well," Takashi frowned as he knelt in front of her.

"I learned how to read and write by the time I was six," Ivanna smiled before Takashi moved to take her hand and she pulled back. "You don't need to examine me, sir, I know my problems. I merely require some herbal balms."

"The Lord was clear that I was to do my job properly."

"I've known exactly what's wrong with me for ten years, Takashi. You may examine the child but you don't get to touch me," Ivanna spoke, narrowing her eyes. "I only required lavender and chamomile balms to be made up."

"Miss…"

"I have had enough of doctors prodding me, I will not have any one else touch me!" Ivanna snapped, slamming her hands on the ground beside her.

"Ivanna…" Nuri knelt beside her, concern on her face as she whimpered. "Your…"

"You do not need to verbalize in front of the child, Nuri. It will pass," Ivanna whimpered quietly, gripping at her chest. "Any thing that could possibly cause it to beat faster causes pain, anger included."

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Some warm tea would be nice, thank you Nuri," Ivanna spoke as she managed to slow her heart and looked at Takashi coolly.

"Very well, Ivanna," Takashi frowned before turning his attention to the child beside her.

Ivanna scooter herself over to the table as Nuri came back in with a pot of tea and watched Takashi work with the child. Nuri sat beside her and poured her tea before pouring some tea for herself, leaving the other two cups empty until Takashi was done with the child. Ivanna watched as the healer interacted with the child and when she was told to open her mouth and try to say 'ah,' sound came out.

"It seems that she is not completely mute," Takashi frowned. "Has she ever verbalized sound before?"

"I wouldn't know. I only met her this morning. You'd be better off asking Jaken or Lord Sesshomaru. So what, she was a temporary mute? How does that work?"

"She could have witnessed something that traumatized her enough to loose her voice. From the sounds of it, if taught, she may regain use of her voice again."

"That's good to hear."

"Alright, lets get some measurements so I can get started making your clothing. I was thinking that we create a version of both styles for you so you can get a feel for each then from there you can decide which is more comfortable. Any color preferences?" Nuri asked as she got to her feet.

"No pink, red, orange, or yellow as the main cloth color, but they are okay as part of small designs," Ivanna spoke as she scooted away from the table and sat up straight, holding her arms straight out.

"I can work with that," Nuri smiled as she pulled out a long piece of string that was about half inch thick that reminded her of measuring tape but there were no marks to indicate length.

"It would be nice to be able to wear something that actually fits. What does one do to contain the breasts and cover lower areas?"

"We bind our chests with several layers of cloth but that's it," Nuri spoke as Takashi left.

"Seriously? That's doesn't sound comfortable at all," Ivanna spoke as she lifted her self up so that her upper thighs and hips could be measured. "If I gave you an idea, could you make it?"

"Yeah, but no one ever has worn something to cover lower regions, except the men. Isn't that something you're used to?"

"I don't know how much I can really say about my background except I'm not from around here. My home is very, very different than here."

"I'll get a scroll and some ink so that you can draw your idea then we'll get proper measurements for what thought you have. Would you lay down so I can get full length measurements?"

Ivanna laid back and rested her arms by her waist and let Nuri move her limbs as needed before she started measuring from shoulder-to toe and hip to toe. Soon she was done and Ivanna was able to sit back up as she disappeared from the room. She scooted back to the table as the child sat beside her so she poured the child some tea while they waited.

"I'll send over your measurements as well as this idea you have if it works to the palace so that my cousin has your measurements on hand. Depending on how long you remain within our Lord's traveling company, you may need clothing made again," Nuri spoke as she came back into view with several scrolls and an ink pot. She knelt down beside her and unrolled the scrolls, revealing a metal quill. She started writing on one of the scrolls, noting all the measurements she had taken before handing her the spare scroll and quill. "Alright child, time to get your measurements."

Working on several different ideas, Ivanna kept glancing over at Nuri and the child. Measurements had been taken and written down, now they were going through different fabrics that were durable for a color and pattern the child seemed to enjoy. Soon they disappeared into another room, Nuri taking her to a room where she could lay down and sleep before coming back and working on making their clothing.

When asked about the ideas she had, Ivanna showed her the designs and explained the styles since she had worked on ideas that didn't have to be sewn since there was no elastic that would keep up underwear on its own. Nuri chose one of the designs and had her open the haori she had been wearing to get proper measurements for the design. Seeing her tattoos and mostly her scar, Ivanna watched the pained look in her eyes as she got the necessary measurements without a word.

"It's okay to talk about what's on your mind, Nuri."

"You're dying…" Nuri whispered sadly as she turned to focus on some black cotton fabric to start marking it to be cut.

"I know," Ivanna spoke simply as she covered back up, feeling a tingling just below her knees.

"How can a ninngen be so calm with that fact?!" Nuri muttered, frustration in her voice.

"After a decade of being told that you should be dead, you let go of the anger and sadness and just learn to live and accept that one day your heart will stop. I was lucky that someone dying wanted to give me their healthy heart. I've already died once and was given a chance to live again."

"What place are you from that your healers were able to put someone else's heart within you?"

"A place I won't be able to see again before this heart fails. Fate brought me into the care and service of your lord for the remainder of the time I have."

"That doesn't sound fair to you. He is a ruthless and cruel Youkai. He kills with no thought behind the action, he claims Youkai females when he feels like rutting then will kill them if he isn't pleased…"

"I know enough of your lord and honestly, if that is what he does to me, then so be it. I don't have a death wish but fate placed me here. I want to be useful to someone and I can only do my best."

"But if anger caused pain, what would a rut with a youkai lord do to you?"

"A high chance that it would kill me. But I am only ninngen and he seems to have a revulsion to any kind of joining between Youkai and ninngen."

"Even the Western Lord looses control of carnal behaviors Ivanna," Nuri spoke quietly, glancing at her as she started to cut out the pattern.

"If that were to happen and I tried to defend myself, it would only cause anger. I can only hope that it would never come down to that."

"You are the most accepting ninngen I've ever met. I hope your future is kind to you."

"Me too, Nuri," Ivanna smiled gently as she propped her head in her hands as she watched the Youkai woman as she worked.


	13. Talk of the Future

Finally able to walk now that the paralysis had faded, Ivanna walked through the village with the mute child at her side. The child wore an orange and yellowed checkered kimono with an green fabric wrapped around her waist that Nuri had called an obi with part of her hair pulled up into a ponytail. Ivanna wore a three layered kimono under a thick silk robe that had a wool lining while her hair was pulled up by several hair combs.

The robe itself was black with designs of pale pink Sakura flowers along the edges that dragged along the ground slightly to her knees and along the edges of the sleeves. The kimono was very simple, the innermost layer was white made with a thicker than usual fabric, the middle layer a dark blue, while the outer layer was black with white flowers stamped across the sleeves. The obi was white and wrapped around her waist several times, a small bow in the back keeping it tied. Nuri had worked with her extensively once she could stand so that she could learn how to dress herself and found that the chest wraps had been the most difficult part. The underwear design had worked out pretty well, instead of being sewn on the outer edges, it felt like bikini bottomed that tied on the outsides.

Now she was forced to by some fresh ingredients for the dinner Nuri planned to make. She had been given a list of things to get after getting taught about how the money worked in this world. Nuri had been very understanding of her confusion of how everything seemed to work and answered any questions asked. Holding the child's hand with her right and keeping the basket on her left hip as they walked through the small market, Ivanna felt surprisingly happy doing errands for someone else.

"Ah," the child made a sound and she glanced down at her after putting some leeks into the basket, only needing one more ingredient for the evening meal. The child was pointing at something down the dirt road and started tugging on her hand.

"Is our lord back?" Ivanna asked, confused at the child's excitement as she pulled her along. "Gently, little one, I mark easily."

The child listened and stopped pulling so roughly on her wrist and grabbed the sleeve of her kimono instead, but slowed down so that she could keep up. Once they got through the crowded street, the child pointed at the entrance to the village, the Western Lord walking towards them with a very familiar person slightly behind him, wearing a full plate of silver armor and a black cloak attached at the shoulders and a sheathed blade at his waist.

"Welcome back my lord, I am glad to see you return safely. Nuri is getting ready to make the evening meal. Little one, will you return to Nuri with these? We'll be along shortly," Ivanna spoke gently, giving a small bow after handing the basket of fresh ingredients to the child. The child grinned before running off into the crowded streets. "I didn't expect you to to find him and bring him back with you."

"She really does carry my jaki within her amulet," the familiar man frowned, stepping forward and gently lifted up the necklace. "Who are you?"

"I am Ivanna Dai Yukimura," Ivanna greeted and watched Kahi flinch back several inches. "Shall we retire back to Nuri's home and talk over some tea? This conversation may take a while and I'm sure it's not one my lord would like to be discussed so publicly."

"Hn," Sesshomaru spoke before passing her, leading the way to their destination.

Once inside Nuri's home, they closed the door to her office after Nuri brought some tea in for the three of them. Sesshomaru sat at the desk while she and Kahi sat in front of it. She poured their tea before sitting back and crossed one leg over the other, wondering where to start and what she could reveal.

"So how does a strange ninngen child carry my jaki within an unfamiliar amulet?" Kahi spoke, a harshness to his words.

"I don't know where to begin," Ivanna spoke gently, touching her necklace. "I'm from a time that has yet to happen brought to your present by the Fates. Now I don't know how that works, but here I am 500 years into the past of my known history. You were a guardian and protector of my family for may centuries but that hasn't happened for you."

"You are from 500 years in the future?" Kahi choked on his tea and started coughing.

"Yes," Ivanna spoke after he managed to stop choking on his tea. Glancing at the silent lord in front of them, she noticed a frown as he seemed deep in thought. "I don't know why you started to protect my ancestors, I was never told that story, but I do know that you were the only family for the past six years after my parents died. I'm sorry if this is awkward for you, I won't be offended if you act how you normally would. I know your not the Kahi that raised me, I wouldn't ever put such expectations on someone like that."

"What about that necklace? To hold the Taisho and Yukimura clan marks within one amulet, it's gems matching the eyes of Lord Sesshomaru and myself…"

"After the first shared dream, I had found one similar that was only of the moon with an amber gem. Those two things were all I could remember of the dream, but I couldn't tell you why I had purchased it in the first place. After revealing his true form, my uncle Kahi had this one created to include his own mark."

"What about this one in your time?" Sesshomaru spoke after a moment, curiosity in his voice.

"I… I don't know," Ivanna lied, frowning slightly. "My uncle had told me that all interactions between the Youkai that lived from this time and those of my time who traveled into this era from mine were not allowed. The Youkai council would punish any violation of this rule. After my dreams, I had asked my uncle the same. Your location was unknown though the council continued their search."

"What reason would this one have to hide?"

"There was a war between Youkai and ninngen that forced them into hiding by way of concealment charms. Kahi was the only one who was allowed to interact with me because he became my family's protector for centuries. I wasn't told any more than that."

"Are there others from your time?"

"I was told that there was a priestess that traveled back and forth regularly but as to who that is, I am unaware of them."

"So if we find this priestess, we could return you home," Kahi spoke as if it was so simple.

"It won't work," Ivanna spoke before taking a sip of her tea. "The fates brought me here in a way that I would not be able to return."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because you were the one who told me that," she smiled as she looked at the man who would become her uncle in his future. "The you in my time told me of a version of myself in his past with the exact same predicament. It's all very confusing but you can try."

"What are your orders, my Lord?"

"Travel to Edo and ask the elder priestess if she knows who this priestess is? If questioned why, only mention that a ninngen has found herself in the past," Sesshomaru ordered and Kahi stood, bowed, then left the room. "Tell me onna, why do you attempt to lie to a Youkai?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ivanna frowned, a chill going up her spine at his tone.

"Youkai can smell when one is not truthful. What of this one in your time?"

"I told you…" Ivanna gasped for air as she found herself pinned against a wall, her feet not touching the floor with a hand around her throat.

"Lies are apart of disobedience, onna."

"I never met a man or Youkai named Sesshomaru…" Ivanna groaned painfully as her heart protested at the lack of air in her lungs. "Even if I did meet future you, I wouldn't have recognized him. The Youkai council couldn't find him. They didn't know if he was dead or alive."

"What are you not telling this one?!"

"I speak truth so how do I know?! Let me go…" Ivanna whimpered, gripping his wrist with one hand while gripping at her chest with the other.

"My lord, let her go. Her heart cannot handle anything that could increase its beat!" Nuri appeared beside them and touched her lord's hand. "You can hear the pain you are causing her."

"She lies," he hissed, his grip tightening and she closed her eyes at the pain of his sharp nails dig into her neck.

"She is only a child and been a part of your pack for a single day, my lord. It takes time for trust to build to be able to speak all truths. Release her."

Ivanna found herself on the floor, her left side aching from the impact as she tried to get her lungs working again. Her whole body pulsed in pain as her heart worked overtime to try and keep the blood moving while her lungs seemed in able of gathering air properly. Nuri knelt beside her and she heard metal land beside her before her kimono was opened and something was rubbed on her chest above the top of her scar.

Smelling lavender, she focused on that as much as she could through her pain. After several long minutes, her breaths slowed and the pain lessened as her heart slowed down. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Nuri kneeling in front of her and a small metal container beside them with its lid off, a lavender colored balm inside the container. As she sat up slowly, wincing as it jarred the bruises she knew she now had, she looked around and didn't see the aggravated lord in the room.

"For whatever reason it it's, I hope it's a great one to have to lie to him."

"I answered his questions as best I could," Ivanna whispered, touching her neck and looked at her hands seeing blood on her fingers. "I think we need to bring that healer over."

"He is still here. He had brought over several of each ointment you requested," Nuri spoke as she got to her feet. "Do you feel able to walk? That was a hard impact."

"I know that I'm already bruising from the impact. I'm sure my neck is already severely bruised," Ivanna spoke as she took the woman's outstretched hand and stood up.

"Ivanna, even if it is the smallest hint of deceit to hide the truth, he will know. My advice is just to tell the whole truth even if you think that it is a bad reason to do so."

"That'll go over real well," Ivanna scoffed, her voice raspy. "He'd kill me for sure if I told him the whole truth."

"So you were lying," Sesshomaru appeared in front of them.

"What do you want from me? The version I knew you by was a different name and appearance who kissed me the day before I came here. Tooru kept in constant contact with my uncle and paid for every medical treatment and every medicines given to me. All while keeping hidden from the council and living in plain sight."

"What…?" Nuri gasped.

"It was information that was not needed to be verbalized because the one I knew is completely different from you."

"This one was alive. That was all this one wanted to know," he spoke, his eyes narrowed before he disappeared.

"What's going on?"

"Your precious lord can give you the details of he cares too," Ivanna whispered sarcastically before walking down the hall to the room that Takashi was in, helping prepare the dinner and teaching the child how to work the cutting knife.


	14. One Strange Ninngen

The sky was getting lighter as it started to become morning and the Western Lord silently walked the halls of Nuri's home, planning to check on the two ninngen of his pack since he had been out patrolling the area during the night unable to sleep after what the onna had told him about her future. Sliding the door open to their room, he frowned seeing only the mute child asleep on her futon. The other futon had already been folded up and put in a corner with the blankets folded on top of it. Using his nose, he could sense that she hadn't been gone long and followed her scent out the back door of the house down to where he could hear the river.

He stopped walking when he spotted the onna near the water's edge going through the meditated motions of Tai Chi, wearing a black chest wrap and a pair of white hamakas. Clothes were folded up at the base of a tree nearby and Sesshomaru frowned as he studied her state of undress. She had mentioned many times how the cool air was hard on her and since being properly dressed, she had worn a heavy winter robe over thick multi-layered kimonos. His eyes studied her gentle movements, not strained or forced as she moved, her hair swaying gently against her back.

"Onna, why are you half dressed in this chilled air?" Sesshomaru spoke as he started walking towards her again.

"Oh…?" She flinched slightly as she turned to face him and he saw a bandage around her neck and dark bruising across her left arm before she hurried over to her clothes and started to dress. "I'm sorry… I didn't expect anyone to be awake this early. Ever since uncle taught me those forms, I try to keep up on it every morning. It helps…"

"That doesn't answer this Sesshomaru's question."

"Oh, right… I was warm when I started and didn't feel it. Guess I had cleared my mind well enough to not feel the elements…" she chuckled as she finished dressing. "You're up early, did you sleep?"

"No."

"Right, Youkai don't need to sleep as often as ninngen."

"Where did you acquire those bruises? They were not there the first night."

"It was from yesterday when you dropped me on the ground. My left hip and upper thigh look similar. Hell, even from the child pulling on my wrist for several seconds yesterday morning caused a bruise," she spoke as she pulled up her sleeve to reveal the massive bruise before pointing to a small bruise in the shape of a hand around her wrist. "Since I first became sick, I started to bruise easy."

"You do not fear this Sesshomaru?"

"It's not the first time you've choked me. The first was during the second shared dream. Besides, I cannot allow fear to overtake me, nor any strong emotion really. Too much laughter, too many tears, anger… it causes more pain than it's worth. I've had to work hard to be able to have the control I have, though when I can't get any air, my body fights me on that," she spoke as she wrapped her outer robe around herself.

"If this Sesshomaru abandoned you?"

"Then I would accept my fate, but I know that you are too proud for that. From the moment you dressed me in your own haori, instead of leaving me there, I knew. I cannot guarantee to obey every order since I do have a pretty stubborn streak due to uncle raising me, but I will try."

"That is acceptable for now. Come, Nuri is preparing the morning meal," Sesshomaru spoke before heading back to the house.

"Thank you Lord Sesshomaru," she spoke from behind him, an emotion foreign to Sesshomaru laced with her words and when he glanced back at her, he noticed a faint smile grace her face.

* * *

As they entered the house, Ivanna noticed that Sesshomaru disappeared almost immediately and shrugged it off as she entered the kitchen. The mute child was awake and under Nuri's close supervision, cutting up vegetables to help with the morning meal. She noticed two separate piles of raw meat, one slightly darker in color than the other, off to the side that had already been cut and was ready to be cooked.

"Good morning," Ivanna greeted as she pulled off her heavy robe and placed it in a basket, folded and tied back the sleeves of her haori so she could assist.

"Morning, you were awake early," Nuri responded while the child looked up at her with a giant smile.

"I woke just before dawn and couldn't fall back asleep. What can I help you with?"

"Take over here so I can start preparing the meat for the two of you and our lord."

"He is actually going to eat?"

"Youkai eat different meats than ninngen. The meat we eat would be poisonous for you since it carries remnants of jaki from the beasts we hunt."

"Is there a way to tell the difference?" Ivanna asked as she walked over and examined the two piles of red meat.

"Youkai meat is darker and has more of a purple hue to it while the meat you can eat is a bright red. If you didn't have meat to compare, there is a scent difference as well. To you, it would smell off," Nuri spoke as she held up a piece of the darker meat so she could smell it.

"It smells like the meat has gone bad," Ivanna winced as the smell hit her. "That's terrible..."

"Youkai can smell the richness of the meat that to a human would smell rancid. When cooked, that smell would still be there just not as strongly," Nuri smiled as she held the meat out to the child so she could sniff it, and her nose immediately scrunched up in disgust. "Now if you two are ever offered meat, you can tell the difference so you don't end up being poisoned by the remnants of jaki in the meat. Remember that smell, little one."

"I don't think I could forget it," Ivanna frowned as the child nodded and went to stand behind the child as she stood on a stool and went back to cutting vegetables. "Watch your fingers, little one. Tuck your fingers a little so the side of the blade rests against your knuckles and don't lift the blade up higher than them so it gives you a support so you don't hurt yourself. Good."

"Ah," the child grinned as she followed her instructions.

"That's a good start. Keep verbalizing what you can, and soon we'll be able to get your speech back so you will be able to talk. Just don't ever try to interrupt our lord if he is busy, we don't want to be disrespectful."

"Ah."

"You seem to know a lot about our lord," Nuri commented as she placed the brighter meat into the pan to cook.

"Not really. I have taken etiquette classes and know how to act towards those with title or rank above my own. After all, we are traveling with a Lord of the lands who expects nothing less than the highest respect towards his person. I just forget myself some times since I never had to actually act properly. Back home, everyone was of equal standing. There were no lords who interacted with the rest and if they did, it was discreet because most of my home did not like being treated so differently," Ivanna spoke as she grabbed a parring knife and started to carefully cut off the skins of several peaches that sat off to the side.

"You come from an odd place."

"You could say that," she chuckled, cutting the peaches in half and pulled out the seeds before cutting the halves into slices and put them into a fresh bowl. "Then again, compared to my home, this place is a much simpler place to be even though there is war and conflicts constantly."

"I'd like to hear more about this place you called home."

"Maybe one day."

"Not even a little elaboration?"

"Nope."

"So mean," Nuri sighed but her smile stayed in place. " I feel that you'll be leaving some time today. Our lord does not like to linger in one place for too long unless his duties force him to."

"That's a shame, but I'm not really all that surprised," Ivanna spoke gently as she finished cutting up the peaches that had been set out. "The business he had in this village has been completely, now it is time for him to return back to patrolling his lands."

"You astound me, Ivanna. I've never come across a ninngen like you before, but that is not a bad thing."

"You have taught me much in the short time we have stayed within your home. Thank you, Nuri. I feel that my questions would not have been answered if I tried to ask our lord, he doesn't talk much, not unless he has too. I've never been camping before so I don't know how well I will adjust to traveling and sleeping outside, but all I can do is try."

"You could always ask to remain in the village, you and the child..."

"My fate was tied to that of our lord before I arrived here, it is my fate to follow him wherever he goes. Besides the child would follow him no matter what. From what I hear from Jaken, he saved her and now a bond has been created from that," Ivanna spoke as Nuri finished cooking the meat.

"You really are a strange ninngen," Nuri spoke, shaking her head gently.


	15. Author's Note

I apologize to all my readers for taking so long on updating any of my stories. A lot has happened in the last little bit. During the middle of the year in 2019, I got pregnant and was still working 48 hours a week in skilled nursing so I was pretty exhausted when I would come home. Then in the beginning of 2020 we moved 2,200 miles across the country when I was 37 weeks pregnant. Gave birth to a beautiful little girl then right after being discharged from the hospital, the state went into lockdown due to the pandemic. Both my husband and myself had to get jobs to survive even though we're living with family. Adjusting to caring for a baby and working took a long time, but I am finally able to start doing things I was not able to do for a few months. Before all that, the only excuse I have for not updating stories is writers block which is a pain in the butt.

Hopefully from this point forward, I'll be able to update slowing. I am working on couple chapters at the point of this message so hopefully I'll be updating in the next week or so.

Love all you who enjoy reading my stories.


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